1971: Vikings Rally to Defeat Lions

The Minnesota Vikings opened the 1971 season on September 20 as they faced their strongest NFC Central rivals, the Detroit Lions, in a Monday night game. Both teams had reached the postseason in 1970, with the Vikings topping the division for the third straight year (and first in the NFC/AFC format) with a 12-2 record while the Lions were the Wild Card playoff entry at 10-4. However, Detroit had lost six straight games to the Vikings, the team they needed to beat if they were to rise further.

Minnesota was entering its fifth season under the direction of Head Coach Bud Grant and was known for its rather plodding offense and strong defense. QB Gary Cuozzo (pictured above) was adequate, at best, and while Norm Snead had been obtained from the Eagles to challenge him for the starting job, he was still behind center for the opening game. The line was solid and the backs capable, although they lacked speed. The strength of the rugged defense was the imposing front four of ends Carl Eller and Jim Marshall and tackles Alan Page and Gary Larsen.

The Lions, coached by former star linebacker Joe Schmidt, were viewed as a team on the rise. QB Greg Landry was emerging as a talented passer who could also run effectively. Likewise, FB Steve Owens was up-and-coming and there were good veterans in the running back mix as well. Detroit had a noteworthy defense as well, and while the front line did not compare to Minnesota’s, the linebackers and backfield were at least as impressive.  

There were 54,418 fans in attendance on a clear night at Tiger Stadium with temperatures in the fifties. The Lions had the first possession and put together a long drive of 71 yards. Greg Landry made two big plays carrying the ball rather than passing, gaining a yard on a quarterback sneak to convert a fourth down at the Minnesota 44 and then, facing a third-and-nine situation, taking off and running for 10 yards. HB Mel Farr also had a 17-yard gain but WR Larry Walton missed a pass in the end zone and the series resulted in a 20-yard Errol Mann field goal.

HB Clint Jones fumbled on the ensuing kickoff and TE Craig Cotton recovered for the Lions at the Minnesota 21. Four plays later, Landry (pictured at left) rolled out to his right and tossed a three-yard touchdown pass to Farr. Mann added the extra point and Detroit was ahead by 10-0.

The Vikings had yet to run a play on offense and when they did it resulted in another turnover as HB Dave Osborn fumbled and DE Larry Hand recovered for the Lions at the Minnesota 35. However, the Vikings held the home team to a three-and-out series and Mann’s 39-yard field goal attempt hit the crossbar and was unsuccessful.

The teams traded punts as the game headed into the second quarter. Detroit put together a drive that featured Landry passing to Walton for 19 yards on a third-and-five play, but unable to get beyond the Minnesota 46, Mann’s field goal try from 53 yards was wide.  

The Lions got a break on defense when FS Tom Vaughn intercepted a pass by Gary Cuozzo, who was being pressured by Hand, and returned it eight yards to the Minnesota 28. A run was followed by two passes intended for Walton at the goal line that fell incomplete and resulted in Mann kicking a 36-yard field goal. Detroit was ahead by 13-0 with less than five minutes to play in the first half. The Vikings mounted a 60-yard series that resulted in a 13-yard Fred Cox field goal to finally get on the board with three seconds remaining on the clock and the halftime score was 13-3.

Minnesota came alive on offense to start the third quarter, advancing 80 yards in five plays. Cuozzo threw to WR Bob Grim for 24 yards and connected with Grim again, who outmaneuvered CB Lem Barney and, after falling down at the two but not being downed, reached the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown. Cox added the point after to narrow Detroit’s margin to 13-10.

A possession that featured Landry running for 14 yards on a second-and-10 play ended at the Minnesota 45 and once again Mann missed on a long field goal attempt from 53 yards. The Vikings punted after a short series and Barney returned it 13 yards to the Detroit 42, and from there on the next play, a nine-yard run by Steve Owens, the Lions gained another 15 yards due to a personal foul on the Vikings. Three more running plays got the ball to the Minnesota 21, but a holding penalty moved them back and, while a Landry screen pass to Farr gained seven yards back, Mann again was wide on a field goal attempt, this time from 36 yards.

The Vikings had the ball as the game headed into the fourth quarter and Cuozzo completed passes to Grim for nine yards on a third-and-six play and to RB Oscar Reed for 16. RB Jim Lindsey picked up 18 yards on three straight carries and caught a pass for six more to set up a 42-yard Cox field goal that tied the score.

On the ensuing kickoff return, Barney was hit hard by FB Bill Brown, fumbled, and the Vikings regained possession as safety Karl Kassulke recovered at the Detroit 20. Cuozzo threw passes to Reed for seven yards and TE Stu Voigt for nine and, while the Lions halted the advance at the two when Vaughn alertly tackled Cuozzo, Cox put the visitors in front on a nine-yard field goal with 5:18 remaining to play.

Detroit was unable to mount another threat until getting a break in the last minute when a facemask penalty added 15 yards to a punt return and gave the Lions first down at the Minnesota 45 with 46 seconds remaining on the clock. Landry threw to WR Earl McCullouch for 20 yards to get the ball to the Minnesota 25, but Mann missed yet again on a 33-yard field goal attempt and the Vikings came away winners by a final score of 16-13.

Minnesota had the edge in total yards (275 to 221) while the Lions led in first downs (15 to 14). Detroit had the greater success running the ball (160 yards on 38 attempts to 43 yards on 29 attempts) while the Vikings were more effective through the air (232 to 61). Minnesota turned the ball over four times, with early miscues helping to dig the first quarter hole, to two suffered by the Lions. Missed field goals proved fatal to Detroit as the usually-reliable Errol Mann failed on five of seven attempts, three of which were under 40 yards, while Minnesota’s Fred Cox was successful on all three of his tries.

Gary Cuozzo completed 19 of 32 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown while giving up two interceptions. Bob Grim (pictured at right) had a big performance with 7 catches for 126 yards and a TD. Jim Lindsey led the Vikings with 21 rushing yards on six carries and Dave Osborn gained 17 yards on 9 attempts but also caught 5 passes for 40 yards.

For the Lions, Greg Landry had a rough performance, succeeding on just 8 of 26 throws for 61 yards and a TD with none picked off. He also ran the ball six times for 35 yards to rank third among the club’s ground gainers, as HB Altie Taylor had 51 yards on 13 carries and Steve Owens gained 45 yards on 12 attempts. Mel Farr caught a team-leading three passes for 14 yards and a touchdown in addition to six rushes for 23 yards. Larry Walton accumulated 22 yards on two receptions but had damaging drops as well.

“We dropped the football a couple of times,” said Coach Grant with reference to Minnesota’s first quarter fumbles. “It took a quarter and a half for us to recover from that.”

“We beat them physically but couldn’t put the points on the board,” summed up Joe Schmidt of the Lions.

Minnesota lost the next week but then won five straight games on the way to another NFC Central title with an 11-3 record. The Vikings fell to Dallas in the Divisional playoff round. The Lions won four consecutive contests and were at 7-3-1 before dropping three straight games, including the rematch with Minnesota, to close out the season at 7-6-1 and again second in the division, but without a spot in the postseason.

Bob Grim went on to have his finest pro season, catching 45 passes for 691 yards (15.4 avg.) and seven touchdowns. He was rewarded with selection to the Pro Bowl.

Greg Landry recovered from his rough opening week to also gain Pro Bowl recognition as he passed for 2227 yards and 16 TDs and rushed for 530 yards, at the time a record for a NFL quarterback. Errol Mann survived the bad first week to connect on 22 of 37 field goal attempts (59.5 %) as well as all 37 extra point tries, for a total of 103 points, which ranked second in the NFC.

1970: Second Quarter Surge Leads Lions to Win Over Browns

Two teams with 3-1 records, the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns, met in Cleveland in the fifth week of the NFL season on October 18, 1970. The Lions, coached by Joe Schmidt, were coming off of their first loss of the year the previous week. The team had long been known for prowess on defense, and while the line was showing its age, linebackers Mike Lucci and Wayne Walker and the backfield led by CB Lem Barney were still assets. The offense had a competent quarterback in Bill Munson, who was starting ahead of the up-and-coming (and more mobile) Greg Landry, while the corps of running backs was a good one and the receivers competent.

Cleveland, under Head Coach Blanton Collier for the eighth year, was a team used to contending that had moved to the American Football Conference in the newly-merged and reorganized NFL, and was expected to do so again. QB Bill Nelsen was a good passer playing on brittle knees and QB Mike Phipps had been drafted out of Purdue in the first round to be groomed for the job. However, the receiving corps was missing WR Paul Warfield, who had been dealt to Miami in order to trade up for Phipps, and HB Leroy Kelly was still an effective runner, but showing signs of wear. The defensive line was effective, but the linebackers and backfield were a source of concern. 

It was a sunny afternoon with 83,577 fans in attendance at Municipal Stadium. The Browns had the game’s first possession, had to punt, but got the ball back immediately when Lem Barney fumbled the kick and DB Freddie Summers recovered at the Detroit 20. Three plays later, Bill Nelsen threw to WR Gary Collins in the end zone, who beat Barney for a 14-yard touchdown. Don Cockroft added the extra point.

A short series by the Lions resulted in a punt and it looked promising for the Browns when FB Bo Scott ran for seven yards and then Leroy Kelly gained 24 yards to the Detroit 36. But a Nelsen swing pass was then intercepted by DE Larry Hand, who returned it 62 yards for a TD. Errol Mann kicked the point after and, instead of the home team possibly extending its lead, the score was tied at 7-7.

The Browns had to punt following their next possession and Detroit drove 77 yards in six plays. FB Mel Farr carried twice for a total of 13 yards and Bill Munson then threw deep to WR Larry Walton (pictured at top) for a gain of 56 yards to the Cleveland eight. Runs by Farr and HB Altie Taylor picked up six yards and, on third down, Munson tossed a pass to Taylor for a two-yard touchdown. Mann’s conversion put the visitors up by 14-7.

The teams exchanged punts as the game headed into the second quarter. The Browns crossed midfield but Nelsen fumbled while being sacked and Mike Lucci recovered for the Lions at the Cleveland 40. Munson completed three passes to Farr and Mann kicked a 51-yard field goal that hit the crossbar but tumbled on through to make it a 17-7 contest.

Cleveland responded with an eight-play, 79-yard drive. Nelsen completed passes to TE Milt Morin for eight yards and WR Fair Hooker for 18 and Scott had runs of 10 and six yards. Nelsen threw to Hooker for a 16-yard TD, Cockroft added the extra point, and Detroit’s lead was cut to 17-14.

The Lions came back with a scoring series of their own, going 80 yards in six plays. Facing third-and-ten from their own 20, Munson connected with Walton for a 40-yard pickup and, after runs by Taylor and Farr, it was Munson to Walton again for a 28-yard touchdown. Mann converted to put the visitors ahead by ten points. The lead expanded again quickly when, on the second play of the ensuing series, a Nelsen pass was picked off by SS Mike Weger (pictured above) and returned 29 yards for another Detroit touchdown.  Mann’s PAT made it 31-14.

Cleveland got the ball back with 2:39 remaining in the first half, and once again a Nelsen pass was intercepted, this time by Lucci. On the very next play, Munson again threw to Walton, this time for a 34-yard TD. Mann converted and, thanks to the 24-point second quarter, the Lions took a commanding 38-14 lead into halftime.

Detroit added another Mann field goal in the third quarter, from 34 yards. Rookie Mike Phipps came on at quarterback for the Browns but threw two more interceptions, the second on the first play of the final period. Cleveland finally scored again on a 47-yard Cockroft field goal and a late drive led to a Scott touchdown from three yards out, but it was all inconsequential as the Lions won by a final score of 41-24.

The Browns had a slight edge in total yards (318 to 315) and also led in first downs (19 to 13). However, Cleveland also turned the ball over six times, to two suffered by the Lions. Detroit also accounted for all of the game’s three sacks.

Bill Munson completed 10 of 20 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns while giving up an interception. Larry Walton had a huge performance with four catches for 158 yards and two TDs. Altie Taylor topped Detroit’s runners with 51 yards on 13 carries. On defense, Mike Weger accounted for two of the Lions’ five interceptions.

For the Browns, Bill Nelsen was successful on just six of 16 throws for 65 yards and two TDs while giving up three interceptions. In relief, Mike Phipps was six-of-13 for 141 yards and was picked off twice. Leroy Kelly (pictured at right) was effective running the ball, gaining 106 yards on 24 attempts. Fair Hooker had four pass receptions for 52 yards and a TD and TE Chip Glass gained 74 yards on his two catches.

The Lions endured a midseason slump to go 10-4 and finish second in the NFC Central, qualifying for a Wild Card playoff slot. They lost to Dallas in the Divisional round. Cleveland bounced back to win the following week but slumped badly during the second half of the season and finished second in the AFC Central at 7-7.

Bill Munson started eight games before yielding to Greg Landry. He completed 84 of 158 passes for 1049 yards and 10 touchdowns while giving up 7 interceptions. Larry Walton, in his second season, had 30 catches for 532 yards (17.7 avg.) and five TDs. The 158-yard performance against the Browns was his only hundred-yard game of the year and was also his career high.

1971: 49ers Defeat Lions to Clinch NFC West Title

The San Francisco 49ers were 8-5 coming into their 1971 season finale against the Detroit Lions on December 19 and in need of a win to clinch the NFC West for the second straight year. Head Coach Dick Nolan’s 49ers had a fine, if erratic, quarterback in 15-year veteran John Brodie. He had good receivers in WR Gene Washington and TE Ted Kwalick, and solid FB Ken Willard had been joined in the backfield by HB Vic Washington, who provided outside speed. Key players in the solid defense were DE Cedric Hardman, LB Dave Wilcox, and CB Jimmy Johnson.

Detroit, coached by Joe Schmidt, had a 7-5-1 record and was out of the running in the NFC Central. QB Greg Landry had a fine year throwing the ball as well as adding the extra dimension of running ability. FB Steve Owens and HB Altie Taylor made for a good backfield tandem and, while there was speed at wide receiver, TE Charlie Sanders was the most consistent of the pass catchers. The defense had talent at linebacker and the backfield, but lacked a pass rush.

It was a clear day at Candlestick Park with 45,580 fans in attendance. San Francisco’s first possession ended with John Brodie going long and being intercepted by CB Lem Barney, who returned it 23 yards to the 49ers’ 41 yard line. With Altie Taylor and Steve Owens carrying most of the load, the Lions reached the 17 before a pass to Taylor resulted in a seven-yard loss and Errol Mann kicked a 31-yard field goal.

The 49ers responded by driving 70 yards in nine plays. Brodie threw to Ted Kwalick for 24 yards to the Detroit 36 and a third-and-eight pass to WR Dick Witcher picked up 21. Brodie finished off the series by connecting with Witcher in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. Bruce Gossett added the extra point and the home team was ahead by 7-3.

Detroit came back with a ten-play possession that extended into the second quarter. The big play was a Landry throw to WR Ron Jessie that picked up 51 yards to the San Francisco 17. The Lions couldn’t reach the end zone from there, and an apparent scoring run by Landry was nullified by a holding penalty. Mann kicked a 39-yard field goal that narrowed the Niners’ lead to a point.

The 49ers struck back when Vic Washington returned the kickoff 29 yards and FB Larry Schreiber took off for a 23-yard gain on the next play from scrimmage. The drive bogged down at the Detroit 32 and Gossett booted a field goal from 39 yards to extend San Francisco’s margin to 10-6.

The Lions went three-and-out on their next possession and the resulting punt gave the 49ers the ball at their 32. They went 68 yards in five plays as Ken Willard rushed for 10 yards and Brodie threw to Gene Washington (pictured at left), first for 14 yards and then 32 yards after faking an end-around to get the ball to the Detroit 10. From there, Brodie passed to Willard, who made a diving catch at the goal line for a touchdown. Gossett again successfully converted and the Niners were up by 17-6.

The Lions responded with a 12-play, 80-yard drive. Landry had a 13-yard run and completed a pass to WR Earl McCullouch for 15 yards in a third-and-five situation. Detroit kept the ball on the ground to go the last 41 yards, with Taylor running for a 14-yard TD. Mann kicked the extra point and the score was 17-13 at the half.

Detroit took the second half kickoff and drove 60 yards in eight plays to take the lead. Owens and Taylor ran for a combined 29 rushing yards to start the series off before a roughing-the-passer penalty added 15 yards to the San Francisco 16. The 49ers continued to hurt themselves as a pass interference penalty moved the ball to the three and, two plays later, Owens plowed the last yard for a touchdown. Mann added the extra point and Detroit was in front by 20-17.

Vic Washington had another good kickoff return, of 27 yards, and the 49ers advanced 66 yards in seven plays. Brodie went long for Gene Washington in the end zone and it was complete for a 30-yard TD. Gossett’s extra point put the Niners back on top at 24-20, but the Lions came right back with another scoring drive. Landry threw to WR Larry Walton for 14 yards in a third-and-four situation and then went long to McCullouch, who beat CB Bruce Taylor for a 56-yard gain to the San Francisco four. A penalty backed the Lions up, but Landry tossed a six-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Sanders. Mann added the PAT and the Lions were back in front by three points after a see-saw third quarter.

The fourth quarter started with Detroit giving up the ball on downs at its own 40 after Landry was stopped short on a fourth-and-inches play.  It was a key development, and the 49ers made the most of the break. Brodie completed a 10-yard pass to Schreiber in a third-and-four situation and an offside call on the Lions converted another third down. The nine-play series finally ended when, facing third-and-eight, Brodie couldn’t find an open receiver and ran up the middle untouched for a ten-yard touchdown. Gossett’s extra point put the Niners back on top by four.

The Lions had to punt following their next series and San Francisco put together a time-consuming possession. Willard (pictured at right) carried the ball seven times, gaining 49 yards, before the 49ers gave up the ball on downs at the Detroit 24. However, the clock was down to 1:30. Landry went to the air on first down and LB Frank Nunley intercepted it to snuff out any last hope for the Lions. The 49ers came away with a 31-27 win.

San Francisco had the edge in total yards (357 to 310) and first downs (20 to 18). The 49ers were well balanced on offense, with 186 yards through the air and 171 on the ground. Each team turned the ball over once. The Niners were flagged 8 times at a cost of 72 yards, to five penalties for 35 yards on Detroit.

John Brodie completed 14 of 20 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. Ken Willard ran for 81 yards on 15 carries and also caught three passes for 24 yards and a TD. Gene Washington gained 76 yards and scored once on his three pass receptions while Dick Witcher and Ted Kwalick also caught three apiece, for 37 and 32 yards, respectively. Vic Washington gained 38 yards on 14 rushing attempts and was effective on kickoff returns, averaging 26.0 yards on three.

For the Lions, Greg Landry (pictured at left) was successful on 9 of 18 throws for 176 yards and a TD while being picked off once and ran the ball five times for 25 yards. Steve Owens rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, to go over a thousand yards for the year, and Altie Taylor contributed 51 yards on 10 attempts that also included a score. Four receivers caught two passes apiece, with Earl McCullouch gaining 81 yards on his pair. Ron Jessie had the one 51-yard catch.

The win gave the 49ers a 9-5 record and the NFC West title by a half-game over the 8-5-1 Los Angeles Rams. They defeated the Redskins in the Divisional playoff round but, for the second year in a row, lost the NFC Championship game to the Dallas Cowboys. Detroit ended up second in the NFC Central at 7-6-1.

The up-and-down nature of John Brodie’s season was reflected in the fact that he led the NFC in both touchdown passes (18) and interceptions (24). His 387 pass attempts and 2642 yards also topped the conference. Ken Willard led the 49ers in rushing for the seventh consecutive season with 855 yards on 216 carries (4.0 avg.). Vic Washington was right behind with 811 yards on 191 attempts (4.2 avg.) and, adding in pass receiving and kick returning, led the NFL in all-purpose yards with 1986. He was chosen to the Pro Bowl along with Gene Washington, who had a NFC-leading 884 yards on his 46 pass receptions (19.2 avg.).

Greg Landry set a new rushing record for quarterbacks with 530 yards on 76 carries, good for a 7.0-yard average gain (the record was broken the following year by Bobby Douglass of the Bears). As a passer, his 8.6 yards per attempt ranked third in the league. He was also chosen to the Pro Bowl for the only time in his long career that ended in the USFL. 

1969: Steelers Edge Lions in Chuck Noll’s Coaching Debut

The Pittsburgh Steelers were rebuilding once again with a new head coach as they opened the 1969 NFL season against the Detroit Lions on September 21. Since coming into the league in 1933 the Steelers had known far more losing seasons than winning ones, including 1968 when they went 2-11-1. Chuck Noll (pictured at right), a defensive assistant most recently with the Colts, replaced the departed Bill Austin as head coach. A promising defensive tackle out of North Texas State, “Mean Joe” Greene, had been drafted in the first round and the club had also drafted a quarterback, Notre Dame’s Terry Hanratty, but it would be the mediocre Dick Shiner behind center for the opener. Third-round draft pick FB Warren Bankston out of Tulane was in the game due to injuries to halfbacks Dick Hoak and Don McCall; Noll shifted Earl Gros to halfback and started Bankston at fullback.

The Lions, coached by former star linebacker Joe Schmidt, were coming off a 4-8-2 record in ’68 but seemed to be in a much better position entering the new season. The offense featured QB Bill Munson, HB Mel Farr, TE Charlie Sanders, and C Ed Flanagan and there were rising stars on defense such as CB Lem Barney and LB Paul Naumoff.

There was a crowd of 51,360 in attendance at Pitt Stadium. In the first quarter, Bankston fumbled and safety Tom Vaughn recovered for the Lions at the Pittsburgh 29. Detroit got a first down but the series stalled and Errol Mann kicked a 23-yard field goal for the first score of the game.

Later in the opening period, Detroit FB Bill Triplett fumbled the ball away with DT Chuck Hinton recovering at the Lions’ 27. Dick Shiner threw two incomplete passes and ran for seven yards before Gene Mingo booted a 27-yard field goal to tie the score.

The Steelers put together a drive in which they picked up four first downs during the second quarter. After going 58 yards to the Detroit 11, the home team could get no further and Mingo kicked another field goal, this time from 18 yards. Pittsburgh got a break a few plays later when Munson, being sacked by Hinton, fumbled and the Steelers gained possession at the Detroit 24. However, following two runs by Bankston, Earl Gros fumbled the ball back to the Lions.

The turnovers continued as LB Jerry Hillebrand intercepted a Munson pass and returned it 14 yards to the Detroit 24. It resulted in another Mingo field goal, this time from 40 yards, for a 9-3 Pittsburgh lead.

The Lions suffered yet another turnover when Mel Farr fumbled after catching a pass at the Pittsburgh 46. With only 12 seconds left in the half, Shiner went long but was picked off by Lem Barney, who returned it 32 yards to the Pittsburgh 28. The clock was now down to four seconds and Mann tried a 37-yard field goal that sailed wide to the right. The Steelers maintained their six-point lead at the intermission.

Early in the third quarter the Steelers punted and Bobby Walden’s 56-yard kick sailed to the Detroit three. The Lions had to punt it back and gave Pittsburgh good field position near midfield. However, the offense couldn’t take advantage and Mingo missed on a 45-yard field goal try. The Lions responded by moving the ball effectively but a pass to WR Earl McCullouch in the end zone was dropped and Mann kicked a 23-yard field goal to narrow Pittsburgh’s margin to 9-6.

Half way through the fourth quarter, Bankston fumbled for the second time and DT Alex Karras recovered at the Pittsburgh 27. A defensive holding penalty moved the Lions closer and finally Munson found McCullouch in the end zone, who held on for a 12-yard TD. Mann converted the PAT and the disgruntled home fans booed loudly with the score now 13-9 in favor of the visitors.

The Steelers responded by covering 68 yards in seven plays. Following the ensuing kickoff, Shiner was sacked by DE Joe Robb for a three-yard loss and he then threw an incomplete pass to make it third-and-long. A toss to TE John Hilton picked up 23 yards to keep the possession alive and moved the ball into Detroit territory at the 48.

With time running down, WR Roy Jefferson ran for 12 yards on an end-around and then caught a pass for seven more. A key play occurred when Shiner threw for Jefferson again but safety Mike Weger tipped the ball. However, Jefferson alertly grabbed it and went out of bounds at the Detroit six for a 23-yard gain. Bankston, who had the two costly fumbles, redeemed himself as he scored the go-ahead touchdown on a six-yard run around end in which he broke three tackles. There was still time, but on a fourth-and-one play the Lions failed to convert when Triplett was stopped short and the Steelers held on for a 16-13 win.

Total yards were split almost evenly, with Pittsburgh edging the Lions by a yard (237 to 236). Detroit had more first downs (14 to 12). The Lions recorded four sacks as opposed to one for Pittsburgh while both teams turned the ball over four times apiece.

Dick Shiner (pictured above) completed 10 of 26 passes for 143 yards with one intercepted. Warren Bankston ran for 52 yards and a TD on 14 carries. Roy Jefferson caught four passes for 47 yards and John Hilton gained 68 yards on his three receptions.

For the Lions, Bill Munson was successful on 19 of 34 throws for 160 yards and a TD with one interception. Mel Farr ran the ball 10 times for 35 yards and caught 10 passes for 59 more yards.

The win was the high point of a long season for the Steelers. They lost all of their remaining games to end up at 1-13. Detroit recovered to place second in the Central Division at 9-4-1.

Things would get progressively better for Chuck Noll and the Steelers, however. With the first overall pick in 1970 they took QB Terry Bradshaw and they would make other astute personnel moves that would have them in the playoffs by 1972 and produce the franchise’s first NFL title in ’74. By the end of the decade it would be four Super Bowls won. Noll lasted until 1991 and compiled a record of 193-148-1, plus another 24 wins in the postseason. 

1970: Tom Dempsey Kicks 63-Yard Field Goal to Jolt Lions

The November 8, 1970 game between the New Orleans Saints (1-5-1) and visiting Detroit Lions (5-2) at Tulane Stadium hardly seemed like a matchup that would come down to the last play. The Saints weren’t playing well, had lost their last two games by 32-14 and 30-17 margins, and had just replaced Head Coach Tom Fears with J.D. Roberts.

The Lions were contenders in the NFC Central and were coming off a key divisional loss to Minnesota, with the rematch coming up the following week. But they led by only 7-6 at the half and were down, 16-14, in the fourth quarter when Saints RB Tom Barrington scored on a four-yard run. However, with 6:42 left in the game, QB Greg Landry led the Lions on a 76-yard drive that ended in an 18-yard Errol Mann field goal with only 11 seconds remaining.

The Saints ran one play after the ensuing kickoff, with QB Billy Kilmer hitting WR Al Dodd along the sideline for a 17-yard gain to the New Orleans 45 yard line (there was some doubt that Dodd had managed to keep both feet inbounds). With two seconds remaining, placekicker Tom Dempsey came onto the field to attempt a field goal.

Dempsey had been born without a right hand and with no toes on his right (kicking) foot. In spite of his disabilities, he played football for Palomar Junior College in California, and joined the Saints in ’69 after a stint on San Diego’s taxi squad. A hefty 6’2” and 255 pounds, he had a powerful leg, but accuracy was always an issue. There was also controversy regarding the modified shoe that he wore on his kicking foot which was in questionable compliance with league rules on footwear.

In his first season in New Orleans, he had been successful on 53.7 % of his field goal attempts (22 of 41) – and was just one for 11 from 50 or more yards away – and thus far in 1970 he had been hampered by a pulled muscle in his hip and had been good on only five of 15 field goal attempts.

On this day against the Lions, Dempsey had kicked field goals from 29, 27, and 8 yards. Now he instructed his holder, Joe Scarpati, to set up eight yards deep rather than the customary seven to provide a bit more time and room for his long attempt.

The snap and hold were just right, and Dempsey kicked the ball solidly. Many of the Detroit defenders didn’t take the long field goal attempt seriously and barely mounted a rush, although veteran DT Alex Karras came charging in and nearly got a hand on the kick. But the ball cleared the line with plenty of height, hung for a long time, and went over the crossbar just to the right of center by about a foot, landing three yards beyond.

Fans and teammates erupted wildly, over both the 19-17 win for the Saints and the wholly improbable manner in which they had won. As Detroit Head Coach Joe Schmidt put it afterward, “You’ll never see it again. It’s like winning the Masters with a 390-yard hole-in-one on the last shot”.

Dempsey’s kick broke the existing record for longest field goal – 56 yards by Baltimore’s Bert Rechichar in 1953 – by seven yards. To date, few have come close, and it was finally tied by Jason Elam of the Broncos 28 years later.

The 63-yard field goal made Dempsey an overnight celebrity, but it didn’t guarantee him job security. He finished the ’70 season at 18 for 34 (52.9 %) and was cut the following preseason. Picked up by Philadelphia during the 1971 season, he actually led the league in field goal percentage (70.6 on 12 of 17 attempts) and set a then-team record for the Eagles with a 54-yard boot. He went on to play three more seasons in Philadelphia before moving on to the Rams, Oilers, and Bills.

The win was the high point for the New Orleans Saints in ’70 – they lost the remainder of their games and ended up with a 2-11-1 record at the bottom of the NFC West. Detroit recovered to finish at 10-4, good enough for second place in the NFC Central and, in this first season of the newly-merged NFL, a postseason spot as the conference’s wild card team.